Live, Laugh, Cry
by LFC Hotstuff
Summary: Now a married couple, Bella and Edward embark on a journey to explore the possibility of having children despite Edward's disability. Will their efforts be rewarded with laughter or tears? A sequel to Irreversible. All-Human.
1. Chapter 1 Beginning

Here it is, the continuation of Edward and Bella's story after they said their _"I do's"_. As a sequel to Irreversible, this story will take us on another journey as they explore the possibility of starting a family and everything else that comes with the realities of life.

Chapters will be posted regularly, weekly if I can manage.

A quick hug of appreciation to WendyD, IWAJ, SK, Keye and Denise. Happiness is knowing you ladies are on board the Hotstuff roller coaster. Salamat!

Here we go!

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Beginning<strong>

**~Edward~**

If one would ask what I like best about being a married man- the first thing that would come to mind is having someone next to me when I close my eyes at night and finding my wife in the morning still next to me in the morning with her arms tightly wrapped around me, telling me that I am her life- showing me how much I mean to her.

I have reconciled with my past, accepted my disability as a challenge I could bear for the rest of my life. I see myself now as the guy Bella fell in love with; a man who wouldn't let his handicap deter him from achieving his goals and making the most of what life and living had to offer. _This is who I am now, and I am proud of how I turned out to be._

Bella was, and would always be, the primary reason why I love my existence. Life was all I wanted it to be and more. There were so many things I had to be thankful for; the smiles, the quiet moments, the love, the subtle touches, and the sex. Damn, that was hands down, one of the greatest perk of being married to Bella, if Willy had any say. The woman was relentless; her appetite grew with each passing day. I wasn't the one to complain, for any time she wanted some lovin', Willy and I were more than willing to be her slaves.

Bella and I engaged in activities together, sharing each day with love, passion and humor. All the while, we worked to start our family. We followed all suggestions and advices of the doctors, and we waited…and continued to wait for the good news with patience and perseverance, knowing the right time would come when the good news would be awarded to us. Looking forward to the day when Dr. Clearwater would finally say the magic word, '_Congratulations'. _

Bella and I stood steadfast in our belief that our deepest wish would be granted. One of these days, we would hear the words we're longing to hear. One of these days…

It was almost close to our anniversary. Imagine, five happy years together. Not once did we desire to strangle each other. Each and every passing day was as blissful as a fairytale. Everything was perfect. My wife, my life, my job. Really, I was the luckiest _SOB_ alive.

Bella continued to travel for work. That meant some alone time for me, time I used to engage in a new sport. Well, sorta. It was not entirely drifting too far from mountain biking. I decided to try my hands, well yeah, my hands really, at wheelchair or hand-cycling racing. I discovered it was just as exciting and gratifying as cycling in the mountains, and was far safer without the treacherous terrains to deal with.

Bella made her fears known about my favorite sport; practically begged me to have a riding buddy each time I ride. To ease her worries, I indulged her on her wishes, but Emmett unexpectedly had to drop off from his buddy responsibility when he got tied up with a personal crisis.

If I could only avoid talking about Emmett's present predicament, I would gladly pretend it never happened. For the mere thought of the grief he was going through was sad enough to make me want to cry. The loss of a loved one was an unbearable pain I wouldn't wish on anyone. The fateful day when he called with the terrible news still haunts me with extreme sadness and ache for my best friend. I could only imagine his grief. I never wanted to face even the thought of losing Bella. My reason for living would be gone. Emmett was far stronger than any of us gave him credit for.

One year after Bella and I got married, Emmett and Rosalie took the plunge for the marital bliss avenue. It was no surprise Emmett wanted to marry Rosalie and be with her forever. But fate had other designs for them. Fate handed him a pill that was too tough to swallow. Rosalie died in her sleep. There was no rhyme or reason, and she just passed away peacefully. She was healthy and had no medical background to back up her sudden demise, except it was her time. They said her heart just stopped beating, plain and simple. She stopped breathing, and there was not a damn thing Emmett or anyone could do for that matter.

How could one begin to grasp the meaning of losing someone you love? That instilled the fear in me that death could come like a thief in the night. So I loved Bella and lived for Bella only. Emmett to this day, tried to live each day as it came. I spent many days and nights talking to Emmett, making sure he was alright and was coping well. As I predicted, he sought some alone time to sort his feelings out and to find the meaning behind all the madness that surrounded him. I understood where he was coming from, and I gladly gave him the space he needed, leaving him with a phrase I knew too well. "Things happen for a reason. We may not understand it now but soon, we'll realize why they did." Emmett looked at me with tears in his eyes, shaking his head in sorrow and confusion.

I haven't seen much of him lately except for the texts we exchange almost every day. He was dealing…according to him, and that was all I wanted to hear. I wished fervently Emmett could find love again; if it were even possible. I guess only time would really tell what destiny had in store for him in the future.

Bella took it upon herself to learn how to ride so she could go along with me to keep me company, but I knew it was more to keep an eye on me. I could tell she enjoyed doing it more because it gave us more time to be together, a good reason to begin with, but I somehow doubt riding the rough mountain terrain was advisable for Bella if we were trying for a baby. If I could have it my way, I prefer to see her in bed, off her feet, resting. But stubbornness was a strength Bella possessed, as endearing as it was, there was nothing I could do to stop her from going with me. No arguments, no ifs, ands, or buts.

Taking Bella's stubbornness in consideration led me to decide to take on a much calmer activity similar to my passion of riding, with the bonus of satisfying my competitive side. I got to ride on a regular paved road and try my hand at racing in wheelchair marathons. The training was definitely more rigid, it provided the same exhilarating feeling I craved, the adrenaline rush I sought. I made sure Bella felt assured that my new sport was safe enough for me to go alone. After I checked out okay and my Dad gave me a go with a clean bill of health, I started training with the time I had when Bella was out of town on business.

We maintained her condo in Los Angeles because she needed a place to stay when she was in town for work; sometimes weeks at a time. If I had my say, I would rather she didn't travel, but I couldn't tie her down to Seattle. She needed to be where work needed her. It would be selfish of me to stunt her growth and limit her chances of advancing further into her career because I was a sad little bastard who missed his wife greatly when she was away. Besides, it gave Bella the time to not dwell on the fact it had been three years of us trying for a baby without any luck.

We remained undeterred by the reluctance of fate to give us what our hearts desired. We would be patient, even if it took us many tries and many years, we would not waiver. And I knew in my heart we would prevail. We had to.

"Ready, Darling?"

Bella came in to the bedroom as I was putting gobs of gel on my still untamed hair. I raked it backward and forward, rearranging it several times to see what other possibilities I had. But given my hair has a mind of its own, I gave up with an exasperated sigh before I washed the gel off my hands while Bella snickered with a knowing look on her face.

"Yeah, I guess it'll have to be like this again." I waved my hands in mock despair, staring at myself in the mirror, dismayed at the mass of golden hair that crowned my head in disarray. "One of these days, I will get a razor, shave it all off and be done with it."

"Don't you dare touch your hair birthday-boy." Bella warned from behind me, a naughty smile on her face as she wrapped her arms around my neck, nuzzling her mouth behind my ears lovingly. "Don't you know that the _hair_ drives me bananas?" she whispered seductively in my ear.

"Oh no, don't even get me started Mrs. Cullen. I don't care if we have dinner reservations because I will take you right here, right now." I warned her playfully, knowing her mere words were enough to start the fire inside. I took her hands and pulled her down to face me. "Shall we have a quickie? An appetizer before we hit dinner?"

Bella laughed before kissing my forehead amiably. "I'm afraid we'll have to make do with an after party dessert." She winked. "We have to keep our reservation because I'm dying for their pasta." My face dropped at her denial. "But I promise it'll be worth waiting for."

Bella in her little black dress could easily give me a heart attack, and she knew it. I looked at her with hunger in my eyes, aching to devour her, dying to sink my face in her rounded bosom, and take her for what she had to offer. It would take a miracle to pry my hands off her if she didn't stop with her alluring smiles. It would just be difficult not to succumb to the heat building up inside me. Willy of course, astute as ever, was already standing in full attention. I adjusted my pants, pushing Willy back in his cave as Bella's eyes twinkled mischievously.

Ahh, the words…the promise. I knew well enough that Bella would keep her promise, and it would be worth the wait. I tapped her on her butt, and she yelped with humor. "We better go while I can still listen to the voice of reason."

I laughed and wheeled my chair out of the bathroom to follow her. I picked up the car keys from the hallway bureau while watching Bella from behind. The woman surely looked and tasted like wine; she got better with age. Her body ripened seductively with each passing year; the curves were smooth, sexy and tucked-in so perfectly in all the right places. As if having eyes in the back of her head, Bella swayed her hips in a beguiling fashion, throwing her hips in a way she knew would activate Willy's ever approving sick appetite.

"If you don't stop that, I will take you here and now," I growled in a low voice, feeling my respiration quickening at each thrust of her hips. Bella turned her head slowly, throwing her hair back in a captivating motion that rendered me completely still. I gripped the wheel of my chair tightly, gritting my teeth in the process. "You better stop it. You're killing me, Woman."

"Okay fine… shall we?" Bella continued walking to the door and held it open for me. "Let's go before you lose that last ounce of self control." She giggled wickedly as I wheeled past her, catching a whiff of her perfume that brings out the beast in me.

I groaned loud enough to show that the self control was slipping away, and her laugh reverberated in the quiet hallway as she locked the door behind her.

"Surprise!"

The boisterous hollering greeted me as soon as we rounded the corner of the dimly lit part of our favorite Italian restaurant, before the lights came on to illuminate the sea of familiar faces I knew so well.

Bella and I came in side by side like we always do. If the hallway was wide enough to allow it, she was on my left side clutching my hand and my right hand was wheeling my chair. I looked up at her shaking my head at the conniving woman who gathered everyone dear to me to celebrate my 30th birthday.

"Happy Birthday, Darling," she whispered in my ear before she kissed me on the cheek.

I flushed at all the attention before I pulled Bella's face to mine. "Thank you…you really owe me big time." I kissed her lovingly on her mouth, earning more hoots from the guests that started walking towards us.

My mom and dad were first in line of the throngs of well wishers Bella invited. My father stood behind my mother, who couldn't wait to rush me. She was beaming with uncontrollable pride as she embraced me.

"Happy Birthday, Son." She kissed me on the cheek after she let me go from the tight hug .I could see the tears forming in her eyes- tears of joy. I later discovered women, well she and Bella, showed their emotions the same way. They cry when they're happy, when they're sad and even when they're upset.

"I love you, Mom… and thanks for coming." I said with conviction.

She slipped a fat little envelope in my hand and I glanced up at her questioningly. "You didn't have to." I protested.

"Oh… but we wanted to… enjoy it, Son," she winked before she stepped back to allow my father to give me a hug.

"Thanks." I looked at the envelope with curiosity, dying to see what she meant by her wink.

"Happy Birthday, Edward," my Dad's greeting was a bit formal, of course. This was Dr. Cullen in front of people, always reserved and proper. He bent down to plant a kiss on my forehead, and I pulled him into a bear hug. I heard his chuckle when he hugged me back.

"Thanks, Dad."

"Hey Birthday-boy!" I heard Emmett's voice boom from across the room, and I strained my neck to locate him among the sea of bodies and voices circled around me. I noticed the parting of bodies as he made his way to me. _Excuse me, pardon me…_ the words were thrown here and there as his voice got closer and closer.

"Em, my man! Glad you made it." I shouted amidst all the noise and music around us.

When Emmett was finally standing in front of us, he was beaming, looking more like his old self and it instantly made me wonder what he'd been up to. Whatever it was, I was more than happy to have my old friend back.

"Neither Hail nor sleet would keep me from my best bud's milestone birthday." Emmett threw a punch on my shoulder that sent me staggering on my chair.

"Mother-"

I almost said the words out loud in the presence of my parents. Bella's eyes widened with alarm before they relaxed again.

"Here, let me give you a hug," Emmett ceremoniously picked me up when he wrapped his massive arms around me, to the delight of everyone looking on.

I flailed my arms in protest, but no one came to my aid. Everyone seemed to be getting a kick out of my discomfort and Emmett's comical strength. It took Emmett a few seconds to realize I was practically off my chair and out of my comfort zone before he put me down.

"Geez, what have you been eating?" I scowled at him as soon as I regained my composure. Much to my dismay, everyone in the room seemed to think Emmett's actions were cute. _Cute my ass!_

"Ahh…the stories will come later, there's an old friend I want you to meet…again." Emmett said after he set Bella back on her feet after twirling her around for a long time. Bella was giggling uncontrollably when she stood right next to me and held my hand in hers.

Emmett turned and ran to the end of the room to my amazement. The _effer_ was practically skipping like a ballet dancer on crack. He had spring in his every step which made me raise an eyebrow, hmm...what has he been taking? I wondered silently as we waited for him to come back.

"Edward, Bella…you remember Tanya?" Emmett pulled a familiar and achingly beautiful woman to his side, his grin wider and longer than the border between the US and Canada.

"Happy Birthday, Edward. It's so good to see you, and Bella, again."

_Who can forget?_

She reached out her hand which I clasped clumsily with mine, unable to keep my surprise hidden. I felt Bella stiffen a little bit, but she maintained a smile that seemed genuine. I squeezed her hand for good measure and felt relieved when she squeezed back instantaneously.

"Thanks, you too." I practically stuttered. I was at lost for words, and sat there looking like a dummy. Emmett continued grinning like a fool before Tanya turned to Bella.

"Hello, Bella," she said; her voice sounded as silky as I remembered, tinged with the friendliness and warmth that I knew so well.

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><p><strong>AN:** *ducks* - need your thoughts on this chapter. Don't just read, please comment if you can. Thanks.


	2. Chapter 6 Weep

Chapter 6: Teaser

BPOV:

The visit with the oncologist was as uneventful as a trip to the grocery store. After a short introduction, he ordered blood test and a biopsy. The process took less than an hour, and we were out of the doctor's office before we knew it.

"Routine biopsy results would take between one to two days after the samples were received in the laboratory. Depending on other concerns, it might take longer." Dr. Uley cautioned. "The uncertainty you feel while waiting for biopsy test results can cause a lot of stress and anxiety. Not knowing when the results would be ready and not understanding why testing sometimes takes longer than expected, can cause extra concern. Therefore, I suggest you two go relax, watch a movie, and try not to think about it. As soon as I have the results, I will call you so we can discuss the result in person."

The doctor explained the procedure with patience and deliberate care, answering questions as we went along. Edward had his share of inquiries which were aptly discussed and explained.

Doing what the doctor suggested, we found ourselves inside a movie theater, with large drinks and large popcorn in hand.

Despite his earlier protest of seeing a chick flick, Edward conceded to watching _The Vow_ and grumbled during the entire duration of the movie. Funny thing though, I caught him sniffing at one point and teased him to death. The banter went on long after we had driven home and gone to bed. These were the moments we cherished the most, the togetherness, the laughter and the anticipation of starting a family.

"Goodnight Bella." He kissed my hair just as I was drifting into a happy sleep.

If you want more- visit me and the story at http (:) /freewritersandreaders . ning . com I actively have my own group there where all my stories are posted in one place. Secure a membership and tell them I sent you. As soon as your membership is accepted, find me here: http (:) /freewritersandreaders . ning group/lfc-hotstuff-s-stories You will get alerts once I post new stories and chapters. It's easy to navigate the site and the only place where you'll find my stories.

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